TCU falls to Kansas State: Fans, media weigh in on whether Horned Frogs make College Football Playoff
Championship Weekend chaos continued Saturday. No. 3 TCU dropped its first game of the 2022 season, falling to Kansas State 31-28 in overtime of the Big 12 Championship Game.
The Horned Frogs are the second top-4 team to lose a Week 14 conference title game. Fans and media members expect that USC will not make the College Football Playoff as a 2-loss team that did not win its conference. Now, all the conversation centers on TCU’s status.
Are the Horned Frogs Playoff worthy as a 1-loss team without a conference title? After TCU QB Max Duggan put the team on his back to tie the game 28-28, much of the CFB social community seemed satisfied with the Horned Frogs making the final 4, even with a close loss in overtime.
No. 5 Ohio State (11-1) is expected to slide into the field of 4 after USC’s loss. No. 6 Alabama (10-2) would potentially be the team to replace a 1-loss TCU squad without the Big 12 title.
Here’s a sample of the social media discussion Saturday:
That’s a wrap, we know the four teams now. No matter the final score
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) December 3, 2022
Any argument for Alabama to make the College Football Playoff over TCU has been rendered absolutely nonsensical at this point.
— Dean Straka (@DWStraka49) December 3, 2022
TCU has earned a spot in the CFP even if they lose. Stop it.
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) December 3, 2022
TCU has already clinched “undefeated in regulation.”
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 3, 2022
Playoffs
Georgia
Michigan
TCU
Ohio State— CFB Home (@CFBHome) December 3, 2022
No matter the result of the OT, Alabama is no longer a viable candidate for the playoffs
— Larry Thompson (@lthompson908) December 3, 2022
Good for TCU to rally. Regardless of the OT result, TCU should be in the playoff. The talk of putting in Alabama has been bizarre.
— Jon Solomon (@JonSolomonAspen) December 3, 2022
Congrats K State, your reward for not getting Alabama into the playoff is you now get to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl
— Kyle (@Kyle_Smith13) December 3, 2022
Regardless of outcome, @TCUFootball has shown enough to stave off any crazy talk about 2-loss Alabama leapfrogging (pun intended) them into a playoff spot. In fact, they should hold onto the #3 seed as well. #CFP2022
— Ryan Schuiling (@RyanSchuiling) December 3, 2022
Alabama has 3 people to blame for not making the playoffs:
1. Bill O’Brien
2. Pete Goulding
3. Max “Heisman” Duggan
— CJ (@S3ALES) December 3, 2022
Anyone pretending Alabama had a shot to make the playoff even with a TCU loss didn't know what they were talking about.
— Bobby Silver (@BobbySilver_) December 3, 2022
There is now no logical explanation that leaves #TCU out of the playoff. #Alabama has two close losses, TCU will have maybe one OT loss.
— TheRealGreg (@UnitedWhofans) December 3, 2022
Any argument for Alabama to go into the playoffs over TCU (if they lose here) is just wrong. You can try, but it’s wrong. Sorry.
— Isaac Viereck (@IsaacV_4) December 3, 2022
Alabama needed more than a Kansas State win. They needed a decisive Kansas State win. And that was just to get Bama back in the playoff conversation. Now they're we're in OT, that's not happening. TCU should be IN regardless of how this game turns out.
— Trey007 (@Tresse007) December 3, 2022
